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Cornelius Nepos · Thrasybulus §4.1-4.4

The Honor of the Olive Crown and His Death in Cilicia

Passage 4 of 4 · Latin

Summary

Thrasybulus is honored with a simple olive crown for his deeds. Later, during a campaign in Cilicia, he is killed in his tent by barbarians who launch a night attack due to negligent guard duty in his camp.

§4.1Huic pro tantis meritis honoris causa corona a populo data est, facta duabus virgulis oleagineis.
To him, for such great services, a crown was given by the people as a token of honor, made of two olive twigs.
quam quod amor civium et non vis expresserat, nullam habuit invidiam magnaque fuit gloria. §4.2bene ergo Pittacus ille, qui in septem sapientum numero est habitus, cum Mytilenaei multa milia iugerum agri ei muneri darent, 'nolite, oro vos,' inquit 'id mihi dare, quod multi invideant, plures etiam concupiscant.
Because the love of the citizens, and not force, had elicited it, this crown incurred no envy and was a source of great glory. Wisely, therefore, did the famous Pittacus, who was reckoned in the number of the Seven Sages, say, when the Mytilenaeans offered him many thousands of jugera of land as a gift: "Do not, I pray you, give me what many might envy and even more might covet.
quare ex istis nolo amplius quam centum iugera, quae et meam animi aequitatem et vestram voluntatem indicent. ' nam parva munera diutina, locupletia non propria esse consuerunt. §4.3illa igitur corona contentus Thrasybulus neque amplius requisivit neque quemquam honore se antecessisse existimavit. §4.4hic sequenti tempore, cum praetor classem ad Ciliciam appulisset neque satis diligenter in castris eius agerentur vigiliae, a barbaris ex oppido noctu eruptione facta in tabernaculo interfectus est.
Therefore, of those acres, I want no more than a hundred, which may indicate both my moderation of mind and your goodwill." For small gifts are accustomed to be lasting, but rich ones are not secure. Content, therefore, with that crown, Thrasybulus neither sought anything more, nor did he think that anyone had surpassed him in honor. At a later time, when as commander he had brought the fleet to Cilicia and the watches in his camp were not being kept with sufficient diligence, he was killed in his tent during the night by the barbarians, who had made a sally from the town.

Notes

  1. §4.1quam quod amor civium et non vis expresserat — The relative pronoun `quam` acts as a connecting relative referring back to the preceding `corona`, and functions as the direct object of the verb `expresserat` inside the subordinate `quod` clause.
  2. §4.2ei muneri darent — A double dative construction, combining the dative of reference `ei` (to him) and the dative of purpose `muneri` (as a gift).
  3. §4.3quemquam honore se antecessisse — An accusative-and-infinitive construction governed by `existimavit`. Among the two accusatives, `quemquam` (anyone) is the subject of the infinitive, while the reflexive pronoun `se` (referring to the main subject Thrasybulus) is the direct object of `antecessisse`.

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Thrasybulus §4.1-4.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo008.humanitext-lat2:4.1-4.4

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